Engineering dean appointed to second term

­Gregory Washington has been appointed to a second five-year term as the Stacey Nicholas Dean of Engineering, effective July 1. He joined The Henry Samueli School of Engineering as dean in 2011 and has overseen a number of noteworthy accomplishments. Undergraduate enrollment has increased by 19 percent, while graduate enrollment has increased by 21 percent. Underrepresented student enrollment has grown dramatically as well – 65 percent for undergraduates and more than 100 percent for graduate students. Additionally, to improve student retention, Washington established an Office of Access & Inclusion and launched an experiential learning program for first-year students. He also secured a $1.8 million National Science Foundation research contract to upgrade first-year programs; opened FABWorks, a space for student makers; and has encouraged student participation in hands-on projects such as the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon and the Hyperloop design competitions. Sixteen new faculty members – more than half of them women – have been hired. And Washington has worked diligently to expand the school’s support and reputation. He spearheaded a $9.5 million gift that established an endowed deanship, a scholarship and a graduate fellowship fund; expanded STEM outreach; and oversaw a $2 million endowment to create a Presidential Chair in the Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science. He also launched the Irvine Materials Research Institute and the Institute for Design & Manufacturing Innovation. An expert in smart material systems, hybrid electric vehicles and smart electromagnetic systems, Washington is an NSF CAREER Award recipient, a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and vice chair/chair-elect of the Engineering Deans Council. He earned doctoral, master’s and bachelor’s degrees in mechanical engineering at North Carolina State University. “Please join me in congratulating Dean Washington on his reappointment. We are fortunate to have him on the campus leadership team,” said Provost & Executive Vice Chancellor Enrique Lavernia.